Don't Think Twice

First Hit:  At times funny, occasionally awkward, and might have been better as a documentary.

The way this film begins it almost feels like a documentary, and there are segments that were documentary like, however it isn’t.

The Commune is a small group of improvisational comedians and this film follows them as they do performances that feel very authentic. Prior to each show the group riffs with each other, hug and reaffirm they have each other’s back, and touch a lucky charm before going on stage.

The theater is small and usually full and mostly because they are good and the seats are cheap. It is easy to see that this group loves improv and they are committed to each other. They barely make any money and live mostly together in shared housing and although one of the team might have access to family money, they take other jobs to keep themselves in food.

Their goal is to get on a television program called “Weekend Live” which is a takeoff of “Saturday Night Live”. Being on this program would mean fame and a regular, much larger, paycheck.

There is some competition among the group to get noticed by the Weekend Live staff. Some in the group are more talented, some are better bit writers, and some are more driven. However, there are others who just want to be in the cocoon of the group because it is where they fit.

The group consists of Miles (Mike Birbiglia) who is a teacher of improve at a school, Samantha (Gillian Jacobs) who loves the group and has a poor sense of time (in some ways), Allison (Kate Micucci) is one of the more introspective and talented member, Lindsay (Tami Sagher) is one who has access to money, but loves the bohemian lifestyle, Jack (Keegan-Michael Key) who wants fame the most and puts himself in place to make it happen, and Bill (Chris Gethard) who seems out of place, yet is a critical member.

The story is about how they react and support each other in finding a new place to create their form of art, how they act when someone gets noticed, and what they learn about themselves along the way.

Birbiglia wrote, directed and has a primary role in this film. Overall, his character is one that has to learn a lot about who he is and in this vein he was good. Jacobs is strong as the person who is clear about her wants, but has difficulty expressing them. Micucci, played a little like the character she has played on “Big Bang Theory”, which is the person unsure of her skills. Sagher is good as the girl who is trying to make her own way although the team knows her family has money. Gethard is good as the guy in the background who gets to express himself on stage. Key is very good as the big personality and the one who aggressively wants to make it big. He does well at showing his compassion for the others and engaging in his success. The writing was at times strong and other times seemed unclear of direction.

Overall:  This film didn’t seem quite focused enough to know where its strengths were.

Café Society

First Hit:  I was disappointed in this film.

The first thing was I couldn’t get over how quickly Bobby (Jesse Eisenberg) spoke his lines with rejoinders coming almost as fast in return.

It just didn’t seem like anyone (Director or Actors) wanted the let the words breathe and have some sense of feeling with them. It is reflective of a poor Woody Allen film. Eisenberg is no Allen (and I like Eisenberg's work) and speaking Allen’s words the way he was directed didn’t work.

Nobody does Allen like Allen (good or bad). With this overriding problem with the film, it seemed hard to get into the story. On a good note, I thought that Kristen Stewart (as Vonnie) was very strong. She was the only main character that seemed to feel her way into her character.

Steve Carell as Phil Stern was OK, but at times it just seemed as though he was straightjacketed as the big time movie producer. I never felt his attraction to either his wife or Vonnie, it all seemed for show. I did like the feel of the 1930’s set with the nightclub being especially embracing.

Eisenberg, either got poor direction or wasn’t right for the role in that his machine gun approach to the lines lacked depth and feeling. Stewart was the best character in the film and she continues to show why she is so much more than the “Twilight” girl. Carell was mediocre as the studio executive, and my sense it was the direction that failed him. Blake Lively was good as Bobby’s wife and the scene of their meeting was one of the better scenes in the film. Corey Stoll as the criminal element of Bobby’s family was also good. Woody Allen, narrated, wrote and directed this film and in all ways it seemed to lack heart and comedy.

Overall:  One film that is easily forgotten.

Captain Fantastic

First Hit:  This is an amazing film about family, love, and the belief in doing something different.

This film stayed with me for days after watching it. The strength of the film is in the characters.

I’m not sure where they got the name for the film, but to let you know it has nothing to do with a fantasy comic book character and all to do with an amazing man brave enough to raise his children in a way that makes them fully responsible for their actions, by giving the skills to make good choices, and allowing them the freedom to discover.

Viggo Mortensen (as the father Ben) has a daily regimen for his six children that includes, hunting, climbing, running, exercise, reading, cooking, cleaning, and helping their siblings. They are living somewhere deep in the woods in the Pacific Northwest far away from any city and the noise of urban and suburban America.

The children all speak at least four languages and the truth when they talk. They have been home-schooled, are resilient, and each have their unique personal strengths that come out in the film. We learn that their mother Leslie (Trin Miller) has been in the hospital for 3 months for her struggles of being bipolar.

Ben then learns on a trip to town to get mail and supplies, that she has committed suicide. He tells the children in a very straightforward manner and their grieving process is touchingly shown. They want to go to the funeral but Leslie’s father Jack (Frank Langella) forbids it and threatens Ben with being arrested. He blames Ben for Leslie’s life choices and for making his daughter ill.

Of course the audience and Abigail, (Ann Dowd) Leslie’s mom, knows different; but it makes for some riveting scenes between Ben and Jack. During the trip to the funeral, they visit Leslie’s sister Harper (Kathryn Hahn), brother-in-law Dave (Steve Zahn), and their two boys. The scenes during this visit are interesting as well as hilarious.

Mortensen again reminds me here about how good an actor he is. He is fantastic (maybe why the film was named this) and clearly shows why he’s a great actor. George McKay (as Bo) was amazing as the oldest son. Samantha Isler (as Kielyr) was so present and strong as the oldest daughter. Annaliese Basso (as Vespyr) was sublime as the second oldest daughter. Nicholas Hamilton (as Rellian) was the second oldest son was wonderful in his pivotal role. Shree Crooks and Charlie Shotwell (as Zaja and Nai respectively) played the two youngest children and they brought so much humor and joy to the film that it would have been far less without them. Langella was perfect as the conservative, wealthy father of Leslie who stressed about the path his daughter took. Dowd was great as the slightly oppressed wife of Langella while being understanding of her son-in-law Ben and her daughter’s wishes. Matt Ross wrote and directed this film. The writing was outstanding, sharp, pointed and elegant all at the same time. His direction was spot on, leaving the audience to engage and learn more about this family.

Overall:  One of the very best films I’ve seen all year.

The Infiltrator

First Hit:  Tension begins early and stays through to the end of the film – well done.

The setting is the 1980’s. Columbian cocaine is pouring into the United States through Florida.

The US Government is doing what it can to stop the flow of drugs. Nancy Reagan’s “Just say no” campaign was in full bloom and most of the U.S. Customs department’s war on drugs was to follow the flow of the drugs.

One of Customs’ best agents Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) thinks that a better way to get to the top of the cartel was to “follow the money”. He and his partner Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) set themselves up as a company with bank money laundering connections. Mazur takes the alias of Bob Musella. The way these two find their way to the right banking and cartel connections is filled with tense scenes made only better by the acting, especially by Cranston.

One thing that struck me was the complicated way things came together. There were a lot of characters and plot elements, however, I felt like it how a real life setup might unfold.

For instance, during a conversation with a cartel member in a strip club, Musella said he was engaged. He did this because he didn’t want to partake in a sexual encounter and he was fully committed to his wife Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey). Stating he was engaged required the U. S. Customs agency to set him up with a finance. His hard line boss Bonnie Tischler (Amy Ryan), selects a newly minted agent Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger) which created its own level of tension and concern because she had no experience.

The film and scenes we’re not done in a highly slick manner, which worked for me because otherwise would have made the film appear too staged. Where Ertz and Musella worked best was during the scenes to develop a relationship with cartel member Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt) and his wife Gloria (Elena Anaya).

Cranston was really strong in this role based on a true story. His ability to create tension for his life and his family’s life was palpable. Leguizamo was perfect as his partner that seemed the on edge of being a really smart and partially unhinged. Ryan was perfect as the hard-line female Customs boss. Kruger was wonderful as the undercover fiancé. Bratt and Anaya were very strong as major components of the cartel. Ellen Sue Brown wrote a very strong script. Brad Furman did a wonderful job of making the film work by not making it too slick.

Overall:  This true story from the Eighties was well represented 30 years later.

The Lobster

First Hit:  A strange, different and odd film about forced coupledom.

This film is set in the near future and everyone in society must be coupled or face going to an oddly sterile hotel where they have 45 days to find a mate. If they don’t find a mate they will be turned into the animal of their choice. They can extend their time by hunting down and shooting and tranquilizing others who are escaping. If they are lucky enough to find a mate they can live in a couple’s room, then a yacht for a couple weeks, and if successful they can return to the city as a couple.

Upon entering the hotel, they are given a strict protocol to live by, including no masturbation, along with deciding the animal they want to be turned into if they don’t find a mate; hence the film’s title “The Lobster”. This is the type of animal David (Colin Farrell) selects.

There are some macabre scenes (like the punishment for masturbating), amazingly darkly funny scenes (shooting range practice scene), and simply weird scenes (how do the loners survive in the forest day after day). One of the traits in choosing their possible partner is the sharing physical or mental aspects like; shortsightedness, or limps, or lisps, or cold-heartedness, or the love of biscuits.

Another odd part about this film is that it portrays everyone being so subservient to people who’ve placed themselves in authority. How everyone minds the hotel managers (Olivia Colman and Garry Mountaine) is really bizarre because I would have probably rebelled.

Even more perplexing was how the escapees (“Loners”) minded the direction and instructions of Loner Leader (Lea Seydoux). I kept wondering who empowered these people in this way? Why did others follow their instructions?

The cast of characters in this story were really oddly interesting as well:  Nosebleed Woman (Jessica Barden), Biscuit Woman (Ashely Jensen), Lisping Man (John C. Reilly), Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), Limping Man (Ben Whishaw), and Heartless Woman (Angeliki Papoulia) among others.

Farrell did a terrific job with his character. He gained so much weight for this role which seemed to also affect his natural intensity. Seydoux was clearly strong as the leader of the Loners. She was very commanding. Reilly was funny as the lisping man who got caught masturbating. Weisz was wonderful as the Short Sighted Loner who loved to eat rabbits and was the narrator of this film. Papoulia was very good as the Heartless person. Barden was amazingly sweet as the Nosebleed person. Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippu wrote this strangely effective script even though it was filled with obvious logical holes. Lanthimos did a great job of getting the actors and scenes to coalesce and wonderfully execute this story and idea.

Overall:  The film was very entertaining most of the time, yet the holes in the story kept my mind wandering and asking questions while the celluloid rolled.